[The A5401CA from Casio is the first au handset with a megapixel camera (1,240,000 pixels). ]

Tokyo -- KDDI Corp. and Okinawa Cellular recently announced plans to launch five new handsets from the end of May increasing their new lineup of 3G mobile phones (CDMA 2000 1x), a format that enables high-speed data transmission of up to 144 kbps.

All the new phones are Movie Mail-compatible, a function that allows users to shoot and send seamless movies. The new handsets scheduled for launch are the A5401CA manufactured by Casio, the A5402S produced by Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, the A5306ST and A1303SA both made by Sanyo, and the A5303H II manufactured by Hitachi.

The new additions bring the total of CDMA2000 1x handsets to 23, of which 12 phones, or almost half, are Movie Mail-compatible.

THE MOVIE MAIL-COMPATIBLE A5401CA

The first au mobile phone with a megapixel camera for photo print quality:

-Equipped with a best-in-industry 1.24 million pixel CCD megapixel camera

Photo print quality with a mobile phone camera has finally been achieved with a 1.24 million pixel, progressive CCD camera that allows pictures to be shot in the normal mobile phone size, in VGA size (640x480 bits) for personal computers, and in SXGA size (1280x960 bits) for photo print quality. The camera portion of the phone is compact despite being a megapixel camera thanks to a slim lens that uses industry-leading aspheric glass.

-Exif Print-compatible

Printouts can be made with an Exif Print (Exif 2.2)-compatible printer. Printouts more accurately reproduce the conditions at the time the photo was shot by adjusting the image file based on photo data recorded automatically at the time of shooting.

* Exif Print and Exif 2.2 are the names of standards that strengthen the link between digital cameras and printers for easy, high quality printouts of photo images

-22-step digital 8x zoom

Equipped with a 22-step digital 8x zoom that enables ultra-fine adjustments, Zoom in on a subject or takes photos of panoramic scenes -- this zoom allows unrestricted camera angle adjustments.

The zoom can also be used while shooting moving images for movies with even more action.

Large movie size-compatible display:

On top of being compatible with conventional 96x80 bit Movie Mail, the A5401CA is also compatible with movies shot in 128x96 bit movie size, a high-pixel-number, high-image-quality, large display format. Movies can be 5, 10 or 15 seconds long and can be sent as email attachments or played when calls are received with the Ringer Movie mode.

* Handsets that can receive and playback movies in large display movie size (128x96 bits) as of May 2003 are the C5001T, A5301T, A5303H, A5305K, A1301S, A5401CA and the A5402S. Handsets with these functions will be added to the lineup as new handsets continue to be launched.

Multiple support functions for taking photos and movies:

Using the sub-display as the viewfinder, photos and movies can be launched, taken or saved and other operations performed when the handset is closed. Equipped with macro mode, a switch allowing clear images to be taken of small subjects or handwritten notes by turning the filming light on or off with a touch of the # key during filming.

Coupling photos:

The screen can be split in two and each half used to take pictures so that separate subjects can be shot and combined into a single picture.

Panoramic images:

Large, panoramic images can be taken for the first time. The images can be displayed on the full screen and can be automatically scrolled left and right.

Continuous photography:

Nine still images can be taken consecutively with the touch of a button. The user can save all nine or just one favorite.

Unrestricted image editing:

-Cut out and playback zooms

One part of an image taken in SXGA size (1280x960 bits) or VGA size (640x480 bits) can be expanded, then saved or played back.

The saved image can be set as wallpaper or sent as an email attachment.

PhotoEffector

The A5401CA is compatible with a new service that enables simple creation of slide shows using digital images. Just launching a preinstalled application and selecting an image and one of 18 different slide patterns can easily create slide shows. Subtitles can be inserted and the show can be played back with background music.

Icons can be created from images taken by the user by uploading the image to the server. Slide shows the user creates can also be sent to ezplus-compatible mobile phones and personal computers.

* It is necessary to subscribe to a separate fee-based service in order to make icons from digital images and send slide shows. * PhotoEffector is a registered trademark and service of PhotoHighway Japan K.K.

Photo Chara Kobo The A5401CA is compatible with this EZweb service that enables original 3D characters to be created easily using images taken by a digital camera. The user can create a 3D character simply by selecting an image using a preinstalled application, specifying the scope of the portrait, and choosing the desired character from the EZweb Photo Character Kobo.

The completed 3D character is stored on the Photo Character Kobo site, and can be downloaded at any time. The user can set the downloaded character as the address book or a screensaver, and fun characters will move around on the main display or sub-display. 3D data of the characters can be sent to the A5401CA or A5302CA as email attachments. They can also be sent to au handsets and other gif animation-compatible mobile phones as .gif data from the Photo Chara Kobo using regular web mail.

* An open connection to EZweb is required when creating 3D characters (communication fees charged separately).

15.68 million color Crystal Fine [1] LCD screen Both the main and sub-displays use Crystal Fine LCD, which is capable of displaying up to the equivalent [2] of 15.68 million colors for sharp images during filming and other applications.

[1] Crystal Fine is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corp. [2] Software processing allows images to be displayed in JPEG format in a maximum of 15.68 million colors.

Large capacity 16 MB data folder Large amounts of moving and still image data and other data can be stored thanks to a large capacity 16 MB data folder.

Even in SXGA photo print size, approximately 80 images (1280x960 bits) can be stored. Around 1000 images in the regular mobile phone size can be stored.

* The number of items that can be saved varies depending on shooting conditions.

Compatible with the popular Chaku-UtaTM service About 30 seconds of a song's chorus with the artist's vocals -- a feature not available with conventional ringer melodies -- can be downloaded from EZweb-compatible websites and used as the ringer tone or played back for the user's enjoyment.

New song preset The new song Time by the popular artist EXILE has been preinstalled.

Use a movie for the ringer tone and screen with the Ringer Movie mode

Includes the Ringer Movie feature in which the sounds and pictures of a favorite movie either taken by the user or downloaded from an EZweb-compatible site are played back when a call is received.

A movie can be easily set as an original ringer tone and animation.

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